Combined subaqueous rock cutter and dredge



May 26, 1925. 539,584

F. LoBNlTz COMBINED SUBAQUEOUS ROCK CUTTER AND DREDGE Filed MayLl14 V1921A 2 Slhets-Sheet l may 26, 1925. 1

F. LOBNITZ COMBINED SUBAQUEOUS ROCK CUTTER AND DREDGE Filed May 14, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STAT FRED LOBNITZ, OF GROOKSTON, SCOTLAND.

COMBINED sUBAQUnoUs Boex CUTTERI AND nennen.

Application filed May 14,

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED LoBNITz, of, Ross I'Iall, Crookston, Renfrewshire, Scotland, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Combined Subaqueous Rock Cutters and Dredges, of which the following is a specilication.

At present, in effecting sub-aqueous excavations where the bed to be operated on consists of rock, boulders, stone, hardened earth or other substance not readily removable by simple excavation or dredging, it is customaryv first to clear the bed of overlying substance, loose boulders, or the like, or to effect such clearing as may be practicable, by dredging, then to move away the dredge and substitute therefor a barge or other buoyant structure carrying a rock cutter by which the bed is broken or disintegrated and then, finally, to move yaway the rock cutter and reinstall the dredge by which the spoil is then removed' and disposed of in suitable manner. In some cases the initial clearing operation can be omitted and the breaking or disintegrating of the bed effected in the first instance but this method of excavation, with or without the initial clearing operation, is a lengthy process involving the use of two separate vessels, one carrying the dredging apparatus and the other the rock cutter, and the expenditure of much time and labour in substituting one vessel for another, mooring and unmooring such vessels and other work not directly productive in effecting the excavation. Further, as the average dipper or grab dredge, such as is employed for this purpose, iscapable of removing or excavating spoil more quickly than the average rock cutter can produce it by breaking or' disintegrating the bed on which it is working it is impracticable to maintain both apparatus in full work simultaneously whilst, owing to practicalv difliculties, it has heretofore been impracticable to embody a rock cutterand a dredging dipper or grab in a single vessel.

The present invention consists in combining with a dipper dredge or with a grab dredge or sub-aqueous excavator, a rock cutting apparatus, in such manner that the cutter can be operated from the usual boom or jib of the dredge alternatively with the operation of the usual dipper or grab, both operations being, preferablye`ected by the same winding mechanism and crew, In this 1921v Serial No. 469,483.

way the operation of 'breaking up the rocky or other bed of a river or other water way and t-he dredging of the spoil can be effected by the same vessel in a very cheap and effective manner. The cutter is suspended over the boom or the jib of the dredge and operates within a guide freely suspended from the boom or jib. The dipper or the grab, as the case may be, is operated in the usual way. As the boom or jib of the dredgmg vessel can be caused to describe a series of arcs, from side to side of the dredge, the breaking and dredging operations can be carried on over a large area whilst the dredge itself is gradually moved forward.

In one constructional form the vessel is provided with stabilizing spuds and pivotal boom, both structures well known in connection with dipper dredges, and carries a ,single operating winch. The dipper (or grab) is mounted in connection with, or suspended from, the `boom in known manner and the cutter and its guide are suspended by wire ropes mounted in sheaves at the extremity of the boom and connecting the cutter with the operating winch and the guide with an auxiliary winch suitably carried on the-vessel and utilized for the purpose of raising and lowering the guide as desired; or the guide may be adjusted by temporarily attaching it to the cutter.

In operation, 'say for the excavation of sub-aqueous rock by a dipper dredge, first, the dipper only is connected with the boom and operating winch andutilized, i-n known manner, to clear the surface of the rock ready for breaking. rIhe dipper is then unshipped on to the deck of the vessel, or on to another vessel alongside, or is left in position or vis otherwise disposed of, and 'the guide for the rock cutter is suspended from the end of the boom and the cutter, suspended therein, is attached by its winding rope or ropes to the operating winc'h. The vessel is then stabilized on its spuds in known manner and the rock cutter caused to operate in semicircular arcs about the pivot of the boom and, as each arc is completed, the vessel is moved forward and the opera* tion repeated. After a suflicient area has been. broken the cutter and its guide are removed from the boom andthe dipper brought into operative position and the vessel can then be caused to work back over the area broken up by the cutter, with the dipper operating to `dredge the spoil. This cycle of operations,`or any part thereof, can

be repeated as oftenas necessary or convenient during the process of excavation.

The cycle of operations-Would'fbe'=sin1i lar in the case of a combined grab dredge and rock cutter.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilyearried into-eelfect or practice two sheets of drawings are hereunto; appended Whereon are illustrated, byfwayof example, a dredge of thedipper type i11f=nfl1iclr the; rockcu'tt'er is arranged toY ojerate alternatively *with the *dredging ipper.

' 0n' thedrawings, Figs. `vl, 2 and 3 are side/elevations, end elevation,-y and lplanrespectively, ofl the combined rock cutter-and 'clipper' dredge. lFig. 'lis -an 'enlarged ysectional vie-W- of thecijitter'andi'ts guide Whilst Fig. isqa cross-section on :the'flinef- FigiLl. l,

i Referring :new to thef dra-Wings, -in the Aconstruction illustrated, *A 'isf the Vessel, B the operatingr Vwinch thereon, `C the {sta- -1 bilizing spuds vand the boom mounted nponfthe pivotedtable D', allot-known con- Vstruction" andin Figsd'l, Qiand 3, E andE indi'ea'te theydredging Edipper and the clipper anni-in dotted-lines. "The dipper "E'I'is 1arranged and operatedV-in known manner'.

As-'shownat Figslto the 'rockl cutter lll is' suspended, `by Aa` double rope'suspensions TO 'passing- Sover double 'sheaves 7,1 6 and i 5iftoftherbarrel -lijof thevvvindinrg Wineh'B.

yStoppers 13 at the end of the boomfD.

order to Yfacilitate the lrai-sing;- an'ddropp'ing operation.

Nateiwitlrin thefguidef) Whichis 'freely 'suspendedby means of ltwo `Wire `ropes l or chains lf2 (seerligs.i 2 andt'but notiatFig.

The cutter is la'daptedto operlfbeing there removed forfclearness'asthey arejinfthe sameplane as rope `f110)"from I`The "gu-ide@ pre't'erablyoonsists of a long metal --t1`rbe"14-Wliiel1 is lined `with xvoo'd 15. ?It Ican be raised and lowered,- as desired,V`

' A merely altering the' length l'of-the suspension -eablelZ' I `:Assam-ing the normal or average eyoleof 'operationshas to beperfornied, (that is'gto Wessel, vthe f roe'k cutter` and 'guide beingfre- -`moved"out-'6f the-way, and 'the initialdredg- Ning or feleafrfng *operation Aperfornfied,in

known manner, `by stabilizing thefvessel on its spuds yand 'operating the" dipper in arcs 'about the pivot of the boom D, the vessel fbeingmovied;fonward as each arc is com pleted. The double rope 10 after being deta'chedlfrom thefcutterll can be readily connected to the di per as indicated in dot- Etedlines-atOa. /hen the clearing operation has been performed over a suflicient area the dipper E is nnshipped onto the decl;v ofthe vessel, onjtola barge alongside, or otherwise fdisposed of land vdisconnected from the operating Winch 1B; Theigui-deQ Y* and 'cutter-11 are thenl suspendedfrom the `boom 11),; and operatively connected with the @Winch YB, and the `roekcuttimggfl operation performed by stabilizing the vesselon its spndsarid"operating `'the cutterlin yarcs about the pivot ofy the boom D in a manner similar1 to that in which the* initialy -dre'dg- 'ing 'operation was 1performed.AiFinall'y, 'Whenthe Vcleared areahas been brken,*the cutter 1lVv aridguide 9E-are Aunshippediand the d ipperf're-installed-lwhenlthe lfinal vexcavat'ion Aoff'thespoil can be effected-fina Ina-n- 'ner similar tothat in-Whichthe initial clearing operation `was earr-ied ont.

jlinother forms fthe'invention the construetion-'or adaptation may be suchth'at the dredging apparatus vQuidrock-cutting lapparatus 'ca-ni be s'oarranged asfto obviate jdt'h'e'Al necessity for nnshipping-Jone and installing the Aother leach time it is idesired to changeover from 4one operationvto the other. fIn lthisf ease f the l central slieave 7 a andi thencel toa `clipper operating jdrum on the winch With y'su'ch van @arrangement `:both apparatus may still ybefop'erated from e a singley operating mechanism, in which case Lenieans l-Wo1rld ybe provided foi` making rfast the `aplnxratus l for thefftimefbeing notjin use -or separate operating mechanism may *be provided "for eaoh.

Having new ffully described myl invention 'fwliat Iclaim-ia'n-dfklesirelto secu-re by Letfters1Pate`nt-is:- v p t 1.-In combinationfwiitlradipper dredge','a cutter, a guide-within Which'said cutter is y' suspended, fla' boom fon" the l dredge, .flexible =`mein-bers by which saidlguidefislfreely `sus- `4pended lfromfsai'df'boom so asfto-)movelilaterally *iin-all direetions,means carrie'dby-said dredgeand' upenwhieh safidboonr is* pivoted `whereby sa-i'd fc'ntt'e'r "may #operate -upon groundE not direetlyUundern'eat-h said dredge, mechanism for operating said `cutter,`- duplex ropes *extending 'from said/meehanism along sai-'d boom "to said "Cutter, three 'sheaves amounted'y at' thel end of said boom', the two 'outer 'sheaves fior :carrying said ropes, fand the middle one Hor "carrying the dipper- A'leperatingrope.' Y' v 2. In combination with a dipper dredge, a cutter, a guide within which said cutter is suspended, a boom on the dredge, duplicate chains by which said guide is freely suspended from said boom so as to move laterally in all directions, a pivoted table carried by said dredge and upon which said boom is mounted whereby said critter may operate upon ground not directly under- .neath said dredge, m-echanism for operating said cutter, duplicate sheaves at the end or' said boom, duplicate sheaves near the base of said boom and above said table, duplicate sheaves beneath said table, duplex ropes eX- tending from said cutter-operating mechanisin over all said sheaves to said cutter.

In combination with a dipper dredge, a cutter, a guide within which said cutter is suspended, a boom on the dredge, duplicate chains by whichy said guide is freely sus` pended Afrom said boom so as to move laterally in all directions, a pivoted table carried by said dredge and upon which said boom is mounted whereby said cutter may operate upon ground not directly underneath said dredge, a winch for operating said cutter, duplicate sheaves at the end of said boom, duplicate sheaves near the base of said boom and above said table, duplicate sheaves beneath said table, duplex ropes extending from said winch through said table over said sheaves to said cutter, and a third sheave at the end of the boom between said duplicate sheaves to carry the dipper-operating rope.

4. In combination with a dipper dredge, a cutter, a guide within which said cutter is suspended, a boom on the dredge, duplicate chains by which said guide is freely suspended from said boom so as to move laterally in all directions, means carried by said dredge and upon which said boom is pivoted whereby said cutter may operate upon ground not directly underneath said dredge, a winch for operating said cutter, duplex ropes extending from said winch along said boom to said cutter, a pin near the end of said boom, three sheaves upon said pin, the two outer sheaves ttor carrying said ropes, and the middle sheave for carrying the dipper-operating rope, duplicate sheaves near the base of said boom, and duplicate sheaves beneath the base of the boom to guide said duplex ropes 'from said winch up through the pivotal centre of said base to the sheaves at the end of the boom.

In testimony whereof I atIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.-

FRED LOBNITZ.

Vitnesses: i

F. V. SUsTUs H. O. BnDeooD. 

